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Hartley Dewart | |
|---|---|
 Hartley Dewart, in 1912 | |
| Leader of the Ontario Liberal Party | |
| In office 1919–1921 | |
| Preceded by | William Proudfoot |
| Succeeded by | Wellington Hay |
| Ontario MPP | |
| In office 1916–1923 | |
| Preceded by | James Joseph Foy |
| Succeeded by | James Arthur McCausland |
| Constituency | Toronto Southwest – Seat A |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1861-11-09)November 9, 1861 St. Johns,Canada East |
| Died | July 7, 1924(1924-07-07) (aged 62) Uxbridge |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
Herbert Hartley DewartQC (9 November 1861 – 7 July 1924) was anOntario lawyer and politician.
Dewart was born inSt. Johns,Canada East, on 9 November 1861. His father wasEdward Hartley Dewart, an IrishMethodist minister who was a preacher in St. Johns. His mother was Dorothy Matilda Hunt. In 1865 Dewart and his family moved to Toronto. He attended Toronto's model school and collegiate institute. He studied at theUniversity of Toronto, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1883, andOsgoode Hall, being called to the Ontario bar in 1887. He co-founded the Young Men'sLiberal Club and was its president from 1887 to 1888.[1]
Dewart set up practice inToronto and served as crown attorney forYork County from 1891 to 1904. In 1895, he replacedBritton Bath Osler as the prosecutor for the murder trial of Clara Ford after Osler's wife died. The trial was a media sensation and Dewart's oratory skills trial impressed members of the press and fellow lawyers. Even though Ford confessed to the crime, Dewart lost the case when the jury decided to acquit. He was appointed as aQueen's Counsel in 1899 and continued his work as a public prosecutor until his resignation in 1904.[1]
Dewart next worked as a lawyer in private practice, working both civil and criminal cases. He was also the solicitor for several corporations such as theCanadian Pacific Railway. In 1906, he was elected to the University of Toronto's senate and was an examiner in English. In 1911 he was elected as abencher to theLaw Society of Ontario.[1]
Dewart's first election was in 1904 as a Liberal candidate for theToronto South constituency during the federal election, but he was defeated. In 1911 he failed in his second attempt to be elected to theCanadian parliament, this time for the constituency ofYork Centre.[1]
He was first elected to the provinciallegislature in a 1916by-election after the death ofJames Joseph Foy in theToronto Southwest electoral district, becoming the firstLiberal to win a Toronto seat in a quarter-century. As a politician he stated his opposition toprohibition and publicly spoke against the Liberal party's temperance policies, to the chagrin of the leader of the Liberal party,Newton Wesley Rowell. He was also againstconscription, stating that it was unconstitutional.[1]
In June 1919, he became leader of theOntario Liberal Party.[1] During his time as leader, the Liberal Party was divided over the question of prohibition and the conflict between the interests of rural and urban voters.[2] In the1919 Ontario general election, Dewart campaigned by attacking theOntario Conservative Party campaign managerHoward Ferguson. However, rural voters supported theUnited Farmers of Ontario Party, causing the United Farmers to win the election. In the subsequent legislature, Dewart criticised the United Farmer government, causing more discontent among rural Ontarians. He resigned as leader of the Liberal party in 1921, citing poor health.[1]
Dewart continued sitting as a legislator. He opposed a bill that would tax racetrack bets, dramatically asking thelieutenant governor before the bill receivedroyal assent if the bill was constitutional. He was defeated in the1923 Ontario general election.[1]
After his election loss, he returned to private practice and was appointed to a commission that was to consolidate Canadianstatutes. He died at his home nearUxbridge in 1924; the cause of death outlined in his obituaries was overwork. He was buried inToronto Necropolis.[1]
